Requests/Recommendations

[HamSammich]

For our 10 year anniversary me and the wife are taking a trip out west. We are starting out by flying into Fresno and watching Keegan James and the boys play. Driving through Yosemite on our way to Lake Tahoe for two days. (Mixing in a little work with pleasure as my wife is a keynote speaker for a conference being held there). After that we are driving to San Francisco to spend three days and flying home Sunday.

For one of her gifts we are going on the Oceanic Societies whale watching excursion. We’re also going to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. Does the board have any suggestions for must does in San Francisco?

 

[dawgstudent]

Alcatraz tour. It's great.

If you have a car - Napa is about 1.5 hours away if you wanted to see wine country. We stayed in Yountville which was about 20 minutes past Napa.

We also went to the beach just to see it. It was a pretty drive from Napa.

 

[57stratdawg]

Swan’s Oyster Depot is great. Might be a line, but it’s about as fresh as seafood can get. Angler is another hot spot. Their menu changes daily, but whatever they have will be great. Great drinks there too.

If y’all are getting out of the city, Palo Alto is hip these days.

Don’t be surprised if you need a jacket or long sleeves.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Are you flying back from Fresno?

If so, I'd suggest going by Carmel on the way there from San Francisco-- maybe spend a night there if you have time?

Lake Tahoe is nice. I've canoed down the Truckee River with family. And Truckee, California is a cool town too-- the main road through town is, yes... Donner Pass Road.

And if you want a laugh, you can go by and take a photo of the Donner Camp Picnic Site. Link.

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Definitely pack jackets and/or sweaters.

Napa is the only place around the Bay Area I've not spent some time and it's on my list.

So is Yosemite.

 

[thekimmer]

Alcatraz tour. It's great.

If you have a car - Napa is about 1.5 hours away if you wanted to see wine country.

I second the Alcatraz tour. Other than that there are some good restaurants. Chinatown is interesting. Fisherman's Wharf is pretty much a tourist trap. You could ride a cable car and that also is a quasi tour bus. Lot of people visit Haight-Ashbury but not impressive unless you find a bunch of tattoo parlors and head shops cool.

Unfortunately SF in general has let the inmates take over the asylum lately and is pretty filthy.

 

[stateu1]

For our 10 year anniversary me and the wife are taking a trip out west. We are starting out by flying into Fresno and watching Keegan James and the boys play. Driving through Yosemite on our way to Lake Tahoe for two days. (Mixing in a little work with pleasure as my wife is a keynote speaker for a conference being held there). After that we are driving to San Francisco to spend three days and flying home Sunday.

For one of her gifts we are going on the Oceanic Societies whale watching excursion. We’re also going to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. Does the board have any suggestions for must does in San Francisco?

We did a similar trip. San Jose-Yosemite-Napa-SF. SF had too much concrete for me. I'd suggest more time in Yosemite/Tahoe and less time in SF.

 

[Xenomorph]

If it's a clear night take the ferry over to Sausalito and have dinner at one of the restaurants looking back toward SF. Spectacular views.

Take a jacket.. other than the Liberty Bowl game against Air Force, the coldest I've ever gotten at a sporting event was being dressed in light clothes in July at a Giants game. 46 degrees and fog billowing in over the stadium. Had to leave in the 7th that night.

Drive across the GG bridge and take the first exit on the right. Go up to the Marin Headlands. Sit there and wonder what it must've been like back in the 1800's looking across that bay.

Muir Woods (on past the Headlands) is amazing.. but if you've already done Yosemite you might be a little underwhelmed. Of course if you're rebel scum, it IS the forest moon of Endor.

Ride the cable cars. Yeah, it's touristy.. but do it.

Go over to Oakland... just kidding. For God's sake don't go to Oakland. Unless you just want to go to Cal and realize most of the world is a helluva lot different than MS.

Unless your bodies don't allow... Walk from Union Square to Coit Tower and back.

I'm not a wine guy but I admit Napa is really amazing. Slightly 17ing expensive.. but amazing. It's only an hour away.

Stanford is only 40 minutes south. It's really cool (and warm) and you can walk the streets of Palo Alto to gawk at the 1,100 sqft houses valued at 2.2

 

[RedStickDawg]

Alcatraz tour is a must, but it’s better if you do it at night. Also, Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma is fantastic.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

The 17 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach is incredible. It won’t be far out of your way from Fresno to San Francisco
Definitely do the Alcatraz tour - it is historic & interesting
Spend a few hours on the Wharf in San Francisco- eat lunch or dinner at a restaurant there. They are several really good choices.
Spend as little time as possible in Fresno - that place is horrible

 

[grinnindawg]

Just driving through Yosemite?
If you are coming from Fresno up through Yosemite West take the Sentinel Dome hike.
It is easy and is an incredible view of the valley. A pass is required for entry in to the park at the moment.
If anyone gets motion sickness in the car, the roads around Yosemite, King's Canyon, and Sequoia NPs will be a nightmare for them.

If you've never seen redwood trees, Muir Woods is close to SF.

Went whale watching in Maine. Didn't think I'd enjoy it, it was a blast.

 

[Xenomorph]

We love Carmel. The 17 Mile Drive between there and Monterey is beautiful. If you're a golf fan it's pretty cool to go in Pebble. You can sit on the back patio having drinks and watch people hit into 18.

 

[The Peeper]

-Yes to Alcatraz, the day tour is interesting, the night tour creepy.
-I'd skip the Wharf, other than the sea lions I thought it was boring. A few good restaurants but if you've got only a little time not worth it.
-Sears Diner a block off of Union Square is a must for breakfast w/ a hangover if you're in the area. Lunch and dinner good too but definitely breakfast
-Lots of Bay cruising tours, sunset sailing, bridge and Alcatraz, Wharf, pick one. They're $50-$150 depending on which one
-If anyone is a Disney freak the Disney family museum is cool
-Napa/Sonoma is good even if you don't like wine.

 

[57stratdawg]

Carmel is great. Definitely consider it.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

That's an awesome trip for you guys. If I had any recommendation it would be to cut SF down to 2 days and spend a day hitting Napa/Sonoma and then driving in to SF on the PCH. Amazing drive from where I am about to send you.

You could leave around 8:30 am from Tahoe and get to Napa by lunch. Hit Gott's Roadside for a lobster roll that is amazing... or whatever else you want. Good burgers and everything is so fresh in that part of the world, its all great. You can spend a little time and Napa to say you did it and then head over to Sonoma for what I think is a better experience and you and Mrs Sammich can walk the less pretentious, but equally charming downtown area and do a little wine tasting. By late afternoon you will have seen plenty and can head over to Santa Rosa for the night to get a hotel at a decent price. Go to Willi's Wine bar for dinner and get you a little pulled duck bbq or some filet mignon sliders that will change your life.

View attachment 20641

Get up the next morning and drive over to Bodega Bay.. Breathtaking.

View attachment 20639

Travel down the PCH and make sure to hit Point Reyes along the way.

View attachment 20640

You are probably looking at 4 hours of drive time to SF. Once there, Alcatraz and Pier 39 are the touristy must do things. Chinatown is cool too. No idea in a post covid world though.

I used to travel a few times a year taking customers on a visit to a facility in Willits, CA. I flew into Oakland on SW usually and would drive up the 101 and when we were done I would drive them down the PCH on the way to fly out of SFO/OAK after staying in the city for a night. I'm not an expert on the area myself, but I spent enough time out there with locals to really find some great groceries to scarf. Willi's in Santa Rosa is legit. Alcatraz and Pier 39 are cool, but you can do it in a day. SF is just too congested for me. Hotel rooms are the size of cruise ship cabins. You and the Mrs will enjoy it, but the wine country and coast are where I would spend some time. And if you have never driven the PCH, you need to do so. Another poster mentioned Pebble Beach (Monterey Bay) which is great, but it sounds like you are heading counter clockwise from Fresno to Yosemite to Tahoe to SF. The PCH between Bodega Bay and SF is on that same journey and equally as nice in my opinion.

Mrs Sock's has about a good chunk of her team in Mountain View CA now and is heading out in July to see her employees there for the first time since covid hit. I'm waiting on an RV we ordered to come in... If it gets here in time, we are looking at a similar boondoggle hitting Tahoe and Sonoma on the way to Mountain View. You have me all geeked up about it now. I hope we make it. Good luck.

 

[LBTdawg]

Hike Lands End

I would recommend taking 1/2 a day and hiking Lands End Park in San Francisco. Incredible views of the bay.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Don’t be surprised if you need a jacket or long sleeves.

Heard someone say the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

 

[MedDawg]

In San Francisco, The Palace of Fine Arts is cool. Used as a location in many movies.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I think it was Mark Twain. I can tell you watching a night game at AT&T in June is equivalent to the first weekend of the year at Dudy Noble. That cold bay wind that makes 62 feel like 42.

 

[eckie1]

Definitely the Alcatraz tour...

For our 10 year anniversary me and the wife are taking a trip out west. We are starting out by flying into Fresno and watching Keegan James and the boys play. Driving through Yosemite on our way to Lake Tahoe for two days. (Mixing in a little work with pleasure as my wife is a keynote speaker for a conference being held there). After that we are driving to San Francisco to spend three days and flying home Sunday.

For one of her gifts we are going on the Oceanic Societies whale watching excursion. We’re also going to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. Does the board have any suggestions for must does in San Francisco?

....that was memorable.

I’d recommend the North Beach area for lunch or dinner one day if you like Italian. Best I’ve ever had was at Mona Lisa! Something with prosciutto in it.

That area abuts Chinatown, too.... which is at least worth a walk through.

Also, Haight-Ashbury is kind of cool if you wanna see where the Summer of Love kicked off. There was a place called Magnolia Thunderpussy (Google it) that has since been renamed to Magnolia Brewing. They had excellent burgers.

I never did Golden Gate, but heard it was awesome....

Otherwise, make sure you take a ride on the trolley and take an Uber drive down Lombard Street (most crooked street in the world). Then, just enjoy the beauty of that place... Last time I was there, the people were very happy and friendly, but it's been a few years.

 

[Misfit]

If you have never been to Yosemite and if there is little chance you will ever make it back to the Park, do yourself a favor and do more than just drive through it on the way to Tahoe. Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Unfortunately, at this time of the year, there will be no water running over the falls, but even without them, if you spend a day in the Park, you will wish you had two or three.

I also second JoeLee'sSocks' recommendation that you drive from Tahoe to wine country and take the PCH back down to SF. You will wish you had a self-driving car because the view is so spectacular all along that drive that it is hard to keep your eyes on the roadl

 

[mstateglfr]

When I went to college, my parents moved to Half Moon Bay which is 40min south of SF on the coast. My visits 'home' were basically me grabbing a car and driving all over central CA each day to see random stuff. In all directions, you cant go wrong.


If you like the woods/hiking, hit up Muir Woods. If you like scenic driving, head south to Santa Cruz then thru Monterey and down into Big Sur. Hwy 1 down there is open once again after a 5 month closure due to the road sliding into the ocean. If you like touristy stuff- the warf in SF or the pier in Monterey are good. Santa Cruz has typical tourist stuff too.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

...you drive from Tahoe to wine country and take the PCH back down to SF. You will wish you had a self-driving car because the view is so spectacular all along that drive that it is hard to keep your eyes on the roadl

No doubt. I made the mistake our my first company trip out to Willits of driving from Willits over to Ft Bragg and then all the way down to SF on the PCH. We almost all got carsick. It was like 7 hours on the PCH in a Hyundai... Way to much. I then learned that we could stay the night in Santa Rosa and pop over to Bodega Bay and see all the good stuff and spend less than 2 hours driving the twists and turns of the PCH.

 

[60sdog]

Gold Country

Suttter’s Mill and the gold country are on the way. Well worth going if interested in history

 

[DAWGS1.sixpack]

Can’t add much to what everyone has said but if you do Alcatraz, do the night tour.
Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge toward Sausalito, hang a left and enjoy the view.
Visit Muir Woods and see the big redwood trees.
Ride a cable car - downhill while hanging onto the side - not sitting inside.
Visit Coit Tower.
Go out to the Pacific Ocean side to Lands End. Have a drink or two at the restaurant there sitting on the cliff. Can’t remember the name of it.—It’s the Cliff House.

 

[57stratdawg]

Haha yeah - it was Twain. I love that guy.

Same here. I've been at AT&T twice in the middle of the summer. Bought a jacket both times.

 

[bbqbully]

Alcatraz is a must. We stayed in Half Moon Bay, just south of SF for a couple of nights. Beautiful beach town. We skipped Napa but stayed in Sonoma and loved it. Great wineries and top notch restaurants.

 

[fedxdog]

Skip Napa and stay in Santa Rosa (Sonoma county). If you have a Visa card that says Signature on the front, Google Visa Signature wine deals and enjoy 2 for 1 tastings in Sonoma county.
Take a polar fleece each.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Couple people have mentioned it, but summer is actually colder and way, way foggier than spring or fall in that area. Expect the fog to roll in heavy around 4:00 pm if you're in July. I haven't been in a while, but someone mentioned driving down the 1 to Carmel along the coast. That drive is spectacular - could stop in Davenport, Half-Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Capitola, Moss Landing, etc. That whole coast line has state parks all along the drive. We would camp out on the bluffs along there and watch the squid fishermen all night, the sky is spectacular along that coastline if you're away from the bigger towns.

 

[bully12]

For our 10 year anniversary me and the wife are taking a trip out west. We are starting out by flying into Fresno and watching Keegan James and the boys play. Driving through Yosemite on our way to Lake Tahoe for two days. (Mixing in a little work with pleasure as my wife is a keynote speaker for a conference being held there). After that we are driving to San Francisco to spend three days and flying home Sunday.

For one of her gifts we are going on the Oceanic Societies whale watching excursion. We’re also going to watch the Giants play the Dodgers. Does the board have any suggestions for must does in San Francisco?

Check out the Tadich Grill in downtown SF. The oldest continuously operating bar & grill in California. When I was there, I did not make it to Napa, but I sure enjoyed Sonoma wine country, and the town of Sonoma especially. Very quaint. As others have said, Alcatraz is a must-see, and I recommend on the Larkspur Ferry; docks right next door to San Quentin. Muir Woods is interesting as well. And don't forget Lombard Street.

 

[expireddog]

Just got back from a week in San Francisco week after Memorial Day. Alcatraz tour was cool (takes a total of about 2 hours.) don’t think night tour is available.

Went to giants Cubs game and it was great. Would recommend driving to twin peaks and getting entire view of city and bay. Fisherman’s wharf is nothing special but would definitely recommend visiting Ghiradeli square.

Cable cars are not running. Public transportation had just started back running like middle of May.

Daughter is in architect school at state and wife and daughter went on architecture tour.

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Hope they bought a house.

 

[Apoplectic_Objurgator]

- healdsburg is a better overall wine tasting experience than all the others in the area. Get a hotel for the night and walk to the tasting rooms. You also won’t have to pay $30 for a tasting like you do in Napa.

-R&G Lounge or House of Nanking in China Town

- stay in Berkeley area near interstate for reasonable prices and easy access to the city - try to get reservations at Chez Panisse - maybe you get COVID lucky